Heretofore in packaging machines sheet material such as thin plastic material is fed from a roll of sheet material over and around an elongated vertically extending mandrel. The sheet material is shaped in the form of a tubular member by means of a forming collar and is advanced along the tubular mandrel by means of belts or reciprocating end seal jaws. One problem with utilizing elongated belts is that it increases the height of the overall machine and produces a substantial product drop height through the mandrel into the package when filling the package formed thereon. An example of such a package forming and filling machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,724.
Another typical bag forming and filling machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,308. In each of the above devices, a sealing mechanism is provided for sealing the overlapping or face to face side seam of the tubular member being formed on the mandrel. Each of the devices are also equipped with a cutter and end sealing devices which seal the package according to a predetermined length. The cutter and end sealing devices may be activated in any suitable conventional means such as by photoelectric detecting devices that sense targets printed on the package.